Love May Die
by SusieQ13
Summary: R/D fans only. Something occurs in Dean's life that may affect the outcome of his and Rory's relationship.
1. Distraught

**Title:** Love May Die   
  
**Pairing:** Dean/Rory   
  
**Note:** In this story: Jess doesn't exist. Ah, how nice that sounds. Almost as nice as the sound of his character getting run over by a bus.   
  


**Distraught**

Rory and Dean are walking back through the streets of Stars Hollow hand in hand. The summer night sky is approaching darkness. 

"Do you have to be home?" Rory asks quietly. 

"I don't think so." 

"Okay. Good." 

"Why?" 

"Because I want you to walk me home." 

"You know I would have anyway." 

"Yeah, but this way it's not rushed." 

"Point taken." 

They reach Rory's front porch and just stare at one another for a few moments smiling until Loreai opens the door. 

"Are you two done yet?" 

"In a minute, Mom," Rory replies, not breaking the stare. 

"Who's winning?" 

"What?" Rory asks. 

"The staring contest. Who's winning?" 

"Mom, i'll be there in a few minutes, okay?" 

"Going from one to a few minutes? I'm moving down the priority list in this girl's life," Lorelai mumbles to herself as she closes the door and leaves the two outside. 

"So." 

"So.." 

"Goodnight." 

"Yeah. Night," Rory replies moving closer. 

Dean leans down and dips in for a sweet connection between their lips and pulls back after a few seconds. 

"I'll see you tomorrow, right?" Rory asks. 

"Right." 

Dean walked the opposite way after Rory was safely inside. They don't say goodbye. They never say goodbye. They had engaged in a coinsidentally strange conversation over the phone and decided that whenever they say goodbye, it brings absolutely no happiness. And made a pact to never say goodbye to one another when departing. Rory never admitted that she was a girl who missed her boyfriend when she didn't see him for a few days or didn't talk to him on the phone that day, but they both knew that they thought about each other. 

Dean arrived home that night and went directly upstairs. Only a few seconds after he heard the front door slam downstairs, he heard the inevitable shouting coming from his parents. He silently opened his bedroom door and went to stand at the top of the stairs, only to see Clara got to it before him. She was already listening to the conversation. Dean sat beside her as they listened quietly looking at the wooden stairs beneath them. 

"I don't understand why you can't just hear yourself when you talk!" his father spoke, sounding frusterated. 

"Do we really have to argue now?" she shot back sounding aggrivated with the discussion. 

"Yes. We do. I want to know what's going wrong. What's so different with you--" 

"With you and me," she finished for him. 

"No. Nothing's wrong with us, it's just been different." 

"It's been different. It's been different for a few years now. We havn't been..the same as we were so many years ago," Dean's mother replied, getting quieter. 

"I know. But we can work on it. We can go to a...a family therapist," he stumbled with his words. 

"No. I don't think we can work on this anymore. That's what we've been _trying_ to do for a while now. We have nothing in common." 

"Yes we do. We love each other," Dean's father was sounding more upset as he talked. He tried to hide it with anger but it came out in a sad tone. His mother didn't say a word. It was silence for a few moments until his father spoke again. 

"We love each other," he said..and after a long pause, "don't we?" 

"I....want a divorce." 

Dean looked over at Clara who had tears in her eyes. She stood up and went to her room, closing the door silently. Dean stayed sitting where he was and looked back at the bottom of the stairs when his mother appeared there. Both being expressionless, Dean stood up and went to his own room, closing the door behind him. 

**Author's Note:** I know ff.net's been weird lately and it's been operating funny, but I felt like putting up the start of my story anyway. Tell me how you like it. 


	2. Levels of Confusion

**Title:** Love May Die   
  
**Pairing:** Dean/Rory   
  
**Note:** In this story: Jess doesn't exist. Ah, how nice that sounds. Almost as nice as the sound of his character getting run over by a bus. This part is told from Dean's perspective/POV.   
  


**Levels Of Confusion**

The next day, near the mid-afternoon, I lay in this bed of mine trying not to think of all the things that could possibly be going through my mind. Just as I was reaching a state of blank thought, my Dad entered the room. I sat up and watched my Dad pace around the room silently. 

"I'm guessing you heard what went on downstairs," he said, finally looking directly at me. 

"Yeah," I replied, not really sure of how to act. 

"You're old enough to understand this, right?" he asked hopefully. 

"I am. But at the same time, I don't understand _why_ it's all happening. I havn't seen anything wrong between the two of you." 

"Well, that just goes to show that we were good at hiding it," he said, as if to lighten the mood, then added, "we talked to Clara." 

"And?" 

"Your mother's still in there with her." 

"So...what's the living situation now?" I asked, doubtfully. 

"I'm moving out," he said casually. Like it was something he wanted and opted to do. No arguments. Nothing. 

"Why?" 

"I have more people I can stay with back in Chicago. Clara already sided to stay here." 

Dean was silent. Of course Clara would want to stay here. She has more friends here than she ever did in Chicago. And her and Mom are like bookends. 

"Now, you have a decision to make," my father suggested slowly, "You can stay here...or you can come back home with me." 

That was the bombshell. The actual news of them splitting up wasn't such a case anymore, since I had all night to ponder over it. Now the situation is put on me. _I_ have to make a choice. 

"I don't want to live with mom," I said after a moment, "After the way she just treated you..." 

"Listen," he interrupted, "you can't hate your mother for her choice." 

I tried to protest, "But.." 

"No," he interrupted me again, "I hate to admit it, but...she's right. We have been having problems for a while now. It's just about time we face it. So...just don't make such a quick decision to move back to Chicago with me before you completely think it through." 

"But I want to. You know that I get along better with you than I do with Mom." 

That was the truth. Ever since I was young, I always had three times the amount of decent conversations with my Father than anybody in my family, especially my Mother. 

"I know that's true. But maybe this is a chance for you to, I don't know, get closer with her..and your sister. And you can always visit me in Chicago." 

"You sound as if you _want_ to leave." 

"Believe me, I don't want to leave." 

"I still want to go back to Chicago. It would be better to see all of my friends again." 

"But what about the friends you made here? What about that girlfriend of yours?" 

I stopped talking and thought about that. I had been thinking of what i'd be gaining if I moved back to Chicago, but had forgotten what I would be losing what's here in Stars Hollow. My friends...and Rory. Besides family, I don't have anybody who loves me like Rory does. 

"I guess I have to think about it then," I said, hitting realizations. 

"Yeah, you do." 

"What's the timeframe that I have to think about it?" 

"Until Friday. I'm gone Saturday." 

"But today's Tuesday. That only gives you three days to pack." 

"The longer I stay, the more awkward it becomes. You know how it is." 

"Yeah." _No_

He left without another word and left me to contemplate my decision. _My_ decision. Why is it all of a sudden my decision to make? This was supposed to be about my parents but now I have much more on my shoulders than I can bare to handle. I was about to make a list of pros and cons of moving or staying when the ringing of the phone next to my desk interrupted my train of thought. I picked it up without even realizing it until the voice on the other end spoke up. 

"Dean?" 

"Who is this?" I asked, not completely processing the voice. 

The voice on the other line suppressed a half hearted laugh. 

"Who is this? How many other girls have been calling you lately?" Rory asked jokingly. 

"Sorry, my mind's...somewhere else." 

"Well, it must be," she said sadly, "You forgot to meet me at Luke's. I was waiting for fifteen minutes before I decided that you must have fallen down a well. What happened?" 

Great i'm already dissappointing her. 

"Fifteen minutes? Sorry. It's just--things have been happening around here." 

I can't tell her. Not yet, anyway. 

"Not exactly fifteen minutes. Four cups of coffee and a muffin is basically the equivelant of 15 to 20 minutes." 

"I'm so sorry. Forgive me?" I ask sincerely. 

"Yes, I forgive you. It's not that big of a deal, I was just worried. I don't think you've ever just not showed up before. What's been happening over there that's keeping you so preoccupied?" 

"Just...stuff. Nothing for you to worry about." I said, calmly. 

"Alright, if you're sure," she spoke, skeptically. 

"I'll call you later tonight, okay?" I said, wanting to disconnect the conversation. 

"Okay. I love you." 

"I love you too." 

As the line broke, I went back to my thoughts. Now they were being invaded of thoughts that involved Rory. She's probably just as confused as I am. But more suspicious, than bewildered at what's going on. Talking to her just makes it more difficult for me to make this decision. 


End file.
